Latch



Aug. u, 1925.

L. M, EGBERT LATCH Filed Nov. 25. l923 FI@ l IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Aug. 1l,

LOUIS It. EGBEBT, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

LATCH.

Application mea November ze, 192s. 'serial no. 0:7;042.

To all whom t may concern. 'Bei known that I, Louis M. EGBERT, a

f. citizen of the United States, and a resident of Indianapolis, lcounty of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Latch; and Ildo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, Vreference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which like numeralsv refer to like parts.

This invention relates to a latching bolt particularly for use in latching floor boards in place so that there is no protuberance above the surface thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a latch of the character which will hereinafter be described for detachably securing removable parLts in place, such as doors, Y windows, and particularly floor boards for tion will be hereinafter more fully described l vehicles, wherein it is desirable that there be no projection above the surface, the device being of simple construction so as to be capable of protection and installation, at low cost. y

Other features and details of the invenand claimed.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and .the following description and claims.

` In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of a floor board held in place by the latching bolt.l Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the latch. Fig. 4 is a section takenon the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latching bolt. i l

In the drawings there is shown a floor board 10 adapted to be removably secured between the side pieces 11 of the floor of a vehicle; in which there is provided the usual recess 12 for receiving the end'ofthe latching bolt.

The latching bolt as shown in Fig. 5 comprises a tooth edged engaging lip 13 which is formed integral with and protrudes from the end of the body of the bolt 14. On each side of the body portion 14 which acts as a guideand engaging means for operating the bolt, there are reduced ange por-v tions 15 having the upper side thereof formed with ratchet teeth 16. @n the upper surface'of the body portion 14, there is provided a recess 17 which may be engaged with a screw driver or any other tool for moving the bolt in and .out of engaglng position. A

The bolt is mounted in a metallic housing 21 of sufficient breadth to receive the flange portions 15 and having an opening in the top thereof of proper dimensions to receive the body portion 14, whereby the latching bolt is held in place and capable of sliding longitudinally of the housing.. The under side of the overhanging and inwardly extending portion ofthe housing adjacent the ratchet teeth 16 is providedwith corresponding ratchet teethV 18. The bottom of the housingjs provided with a recessedy portion for. receiving a plate spring 19 which is secured thereto' at one end by the rivet' 20. Said spring is so arranged'as to engage the bottom of the latching bolt and normally force ity under spring. tension upwardly against the housing so as to maintain the ratchet teeth 16 and 18 in-interlocking engagement; while yieldingly permitting-the disengagement thereof by. applying pressure to the body portion 14 and forcing the latch downwardly. i

When it is desired to latch the floor board in place, a tool such as a screw driver is applied to the recess 17 and a forwardly but slightly downward pressure is exerted sufficient to cause the latch to slide forward into locking engagement with the recess 12. It

will be locked in this position by reason of the spring 19 maintaining the ratchet teeth in engagement, thus reventing a rearward movement thereof. en it is desired to unlatch 4the floorboard, the tool is applied to thev recess 17 and a pressure exerted down# wardly sufficient to overcome the spring tension of the'spring 19, whereby the ratchet teeth will be disengaged, and then rearwardly to slide the bolt longitudinally of the housing and out of engagement with the recess 12, after which it will be held in \un locking position by re-engagement of the ratchet teeth.

It will be observed from the foregoing I that the latching bolt will be maintained in either latching or unlatching position, so that vibration or jarring will not affect it. Furthermore, it is not necessary to employ any protruding element, thereby leaving the surface'of the ilioor board clear. The latching bolt and its housing may be cheaply produced, as there are only two material parts, i. e., the bolt and the housing which can be readily cast, in addition to the leaf spring lll@ whichmay be readily secured to the housing. As the floor board is cut to receive the housing, itmay be driven in'place without the use of screws or other securing means and held therein by its Wke'dging and dovetail formation. However, if desired, a securing screw may be readily' placed in the bottom thereof.

`The invention claimed is:

1. A latch comprising a bolt member, a housing member "in which said bolt member is freely slidable, said housing member being provided with a longitudinal slot in the- `top thereof through which a portion of said bolt member is adapted to extend, a ratchet tooth surface formed on the under side of the top of said housing member adjacent said longitudinalopening, a corresponding and engaging ratchet tooth surface on the adjacent and upper surface of said-bolt member, and yielding means mounted within said housing member and adapted to yieldingly bear. against said bolt member for normallyy maintaining said 'adjacent ratchet tooth surfaces in interlocking engagement.

2: A latch comprising a bolt member provided With lateral reduced portions on each side thereof, ratchet teeth formed on the upper surface of said reduced portions, a. housing in which said bolt is slidably mounted having inwardly extending portlons provided with ratchet teeth on the unde' surf face thereof4 in position to engage and in.-

terloclr with the ratchetteeth on said bolt, and"a spring secured to the bottom 'of said housing and exerting a yielding pressure up- LOUIS M. EGBER'I. 

